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You’re familiar with the term “user experience” right?
Well, then you know that UX focuses on the interactions people have with your website, landing pages, products, services… and… emails.
Yup, that’s right: email UX is a thing!
Email UX basically includes everything from the visual appeal of your email’s design to its message consistency and overall usability.
When it comes to marketing, email UX is just as important as your website UX – if not more so – because it directly influences how recipients interact with your emails and determines whether or not they’ll act on your conversion goal.
And since you have control over basically everything when it comes to designing your messages, you can easily make some small changes that improve your email’s user experience!
In this post, we’ll dig deeper into how you can improve your email UX and share some actionable tips to help you make a better impact.
More specifically, you’ll be able to:
- Create a user experience for customers that puts your content center-stage.
- Awaken interest in your product or service, and
- Build a bond between your company and your customers.
Ready to send out emails that convert more and bounce less? Let’s dive right in!
1. Make a Strong First Impression
If you’re like most digital marketers you’ve come to accept that subject line writing is often hit or miss.
But it doesn’t have to be.
After all, this is your first chance of creating a strong impression. (And sometimes, the only one.)
So, you better make it count! The way we see it, your email’s subject line has to be:
- Meaningful, and
- Targeted
Simply put: your goal should be to make the most out of the inbox space available to you.
Here’s another quick tip: avoid using special characters.
Symbols, capital letters, abbreviations, and other cryptic characters quickly find their way to the Trash or worse … spam folders.
Since most people scan subject lines in their inbox, you should aim to write something that immediately makes them want to click.
Here’s how DIFF eyewear does it:
Notice how their subject line is short and to the point while being incredibly enticing? That’s an email we’d definitely open!
2. Stand Out With Personalized Messaging
You can’t send out mass emails to everyone on your mailing list in hopes of magically resonating with everyone.
Instead, use email segmentation to send personalized emails to recipients who are most likely to find them useful. This is a great way to improve your email’s usability.
Better Usability = Better UX.
For example, the email you send out to people who started creating an account but left midway would be different than the email you send to people who expressed interest in creating an account but didn’t begin filling out the form.
Check out this example from AppSumo:
See how the message is speaking directly to users who started creating an account on AppSumo's Briefcase platform but haven’t finished? It’s more personal and, hence, more impactful.
//[inject:ad-ebook-segmentation]
3. Stay Professional and On-Brand
It goes without saying that the visual elements, the design patterns, the colors, and the fonts you use in your emails should be the same as the ones you use on your website and social media pages.
After all, emails are just one wheel of your digital marketing strategy.
Here are some easy ways to build brand consistency into your email designs:
- Make sure you’re adding your company’s logo to your emails.
- Use the same typography you use on your website and landing pages.
- Use the same colors in your emails, websites, and social media pages.
See how FitBit does it:
Remember: if your emails don’t reflect the overall look and feel of your brand; they might fall flat.
4. Don't Forget Mobile
It’s no secret that most people read their emails on their mobile phones which is precisely why you need to make sure your emails are mobile-responsive.
What’s the point of spending hours crafting the PERFECT email if no one’s going to see it?
Here are some easy ways to make sure everyone can see your emails – regardless of which device they’re using:
- Choose font sizes, font types, and colors carefully. High contrast colors are always best!
- Use a single-column layout instead of crowding the screen.
- Keep your subject lines between 25 to 30 characters.
Check out this super mobile-friendly email from Amazon:
See how clean, simple and branded it is?
And with that bright yellow button drawing your eyes towards the CTA, there's no question about what the reader should do next!
Pro tip: Use links, images, and prominent CTA buttons to make your content more vibrant and responsive.
5. Plan for Structure
Here’s some advice: before you sit down to write emails, take a moment to determine the purpose of your email.
Is it an informative email? Does the email prompt the reader to take some sort of action? Are you trying to gather feedback? Is it a sales email or a lead nurturing one?
This simple exercise will tell you exactly how to design and structure your email. The key idea is to always be planning for structure.
Specifically, your emails should have:
- A headline. Write short, eye-catching headlines that get recipients reading emails as soon as they arrive.
- Content. Newsletters aren’t ads. And promotional emails get muddled if you load them up with a lot of info. The takeaway here: make sure your content is aligned with the goal of your email!
- CTA. Always include a strong, prominently displayed CTA that encourages recipients to take action. If you’re sending out emails that only provide information, you could ask recipients to check out your latest blog posts or case studies.
Check out how this email from Acorns ticks all those boxes:
Maintaining structure in your emails improves readability and delivers better UX. And remember: readability trumps cleverness.
//[inject:ad-personalized-email]
Is Your Email UX High-Impact?
Improving email UX isn’t rocket science. It’s pretty simple actually!
At the end of the day, your goal isn’t to force recipients to pay attention to your emails.
Instead, you want them to engage with your content and look forward to receiving more emails from you! And that’s why it’s important to focus on improving email UX.
Follow the tips we shared above and you’ll be surprised at the impact your emails will have.
In your opinion, what really makes a high-impact email, high impact? Let us know in the comments section below!
Want to learn more about email marketing? Check out our similar posts:
Lists v. Tags v. Segments: When, How & Why to Use Them
How to Maximize Email Marketing for Your Dropshipping Business
8 Ways to Boost Average Order Value + Examples
How to Map The Buyer's Journey Through Email to Sell More Effectively
